CLOVIS CRESCENT
This is the only
crescent found in the
Fenn cache and in fact it's
the only known example ever found in a Clovis cache. It's described
as having sharp edges at both ends but the middle area on both sides
have been dulled by grinding. Although the
known history surrounding the discovery of the Fenn cache is not
what everyone would like. This crescent does seem to belong to the
assemblage because it is made from the same Green River Formation
chert as other artifacts in the group and it's also coated with red
ochre. Crescent is the term that is most often used to describe these uniquely shaped
early tool forms. But in fact, they were actually described and
named Great Basin Transverse points by C.W. Clewlow Jr. in 1968.
Most crescents are curved with a concave edge on one side and a
convex edge on the other so the descriptive word
"crescent" is most often used. Some archaeologists believe the Great Basin Stemmed Point
Tradition, which is a possible source for this crescent, is either
directly or indirectly connected to Clovis. Indirectly because these
types of stemmed points are believed by some to predate Clovis. So this
crescent may help to establish that the Great Basin Stemmed Point
Tradition (also referred to as the Western
Stemmed Point Tradition) was
either contemporaneous with Clovis or possibly older than the Clovis
culture. Another source describes crescents that have been found on
the surface in California along with small Clovis-like points. This
crescent measures 2 3/8 inches (6 cm) long.
This picture shows three views of the original crescent that was found in the Fenn cache. The Fenn cache consists of 56 Clovis artifacts that are in various stages of manufacture. The most exotic of these were three Clovis points made of quartz crystal. Eight of the artifacts were made of Obsidian and the rest were made of either agate or chert. |